Strap sealing tool



June 1959 J. M. THORNBERY ETAL 2,891,432

STRAP SEALING TOOL Filed Jan. 6, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS BY (flames/1f 803922112724 June 23, 1959 I J. M. THORNBERY. ETAL 2,891,432

' STRAP SEALING TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1955 l I VENTO I Q y @RM June 2 1959 J. M. THORNBERY EI'AL 2,891,432:

STRAP SEALING TOOL Filed Jan. 6, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TORS c/zzmesfffwrnbe y BY Jmes/Kiflgmm;

United States Patent STRAP SEALING TOOL James M. Thornbery, Morton Grove, and James N; Wognum, Chicago, 11]., assignors to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 6, 1955, Serial No. 480,244 Claims. (Cl. 81-9.1)

This invention relates to improvements in strap sealing tools and its purpose is-to provide a novel device by which an interlocking joint may be formed between overlapping metal strap ends through the use of an enclosing metal seal. The invention is particularly adapted for joining the ends of metal straps used to reinforce boxes or packages or to bind together a plurality of boxes or packages to form a load unit for shipment in railway cars or other carriers.

When forming a joint between the overlapping ends of a metal strap encircling a box or package with the use of a metal seal surrounding the strap ends, it is common practice to employ a sealing tool comprising two relatively movable jaws adapted to enclose the seal and the strap ends and to be operated to deform the seal and the strap ends and thereby form an interlocking joint. Each jaw of such a sealing tool usually comprises .one or more bending dies and one or more relatively fixed shearing or deforming dies and the two jaws cooperate to form the joint. The width and thickness of steel strapping used in the practice just referred to vary over a wide range with a maximum width of about 2. inches and a maximum gauge of about 0.050 inch. When two layers of the steel strapping are enclosed within a tubular seal, the combined thickness of the metal is so great that it cannot be deformed to form a joint except by the application of substantial force. As a result, the usual sealing tools used for joining the ends of heavy metal strapping require a great deal of effort .on the part of the operator even when the tools are operated by long lever arms.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned difliculty by providing an improved sealing tool which may be used to join the ends of strapping by the application of a minimum amount of force. A further object is to provide a sealing tool comprising relatively movable jaws which include deforming or shearing dies of a rotary type which are adapted to have angular or rotary movement as the joint is formed, thereby minimizing the amount of effort required to form a joint. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved strap sealing tool comprising roller type punches or dies which are adapted to revolve by increments as successive joints are formed, thereby reducing wear and increasing the life of those parts as compared with the types of punches and dies heretofore used. Still another object of the invention is to provide a sealing tool comprising a punch or die of the roller type which is relatively low in cost by reason of the fact that it may be formed by a simple screw machine operation and which may be given a wide variety of contours depending upon the shape of the deformity required in the sealed joint. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated, together "ice with two forms of the deforming punch or die. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of joint formed between two overlapping strap ends and an enclosing seal when the deforming punch or die is constructed to deform the edges of the strap and seal without cutting them;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the form of circular rotary punch or die having a rounded peripheral edge which is adapted to be employed when forming the type of joint illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of overlapping strap ends and an enclosing tubular seal when the joint is formed by a punch or die adapted to shear the edges of the strap and seal;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a rotary circular punch or die having a cylindrical outer surface which is adapted to be used when forming the type of joint illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a sealing tool embodying the present invention when applied to a seal and then overlapping over ends of a strap which is shown extending around a box or package;

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged side elevation of the principal portion of the sealing tool illustrated in Fig. 5 with parts thereof broken away;

Fig. 7 shows a top plan view of the portion of the sealing tool which is illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows a horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 shows a vertical section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 shows a vertical section taken on the line 10-40 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 shows a vertical section taken on the line l111 of Fig. 6.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the ends 15a and 15b of a metal strap 15 are shown in overlapping relationship and enclosed by a tubular metal seal 16 which is adapted to be closely fitted by the strap ends and which comprises a top wall 16a and bottom flanges 16b. The edges of this seal and the enclosed strap ends are deflected downwardly as shown at 17, thus providing'rounded depressions on the top of the seal and corresponding rounded projections on the bottom of the seal which interlock the seal with the strap ends so that relative endwise movement of the strap ends is prevented.

in Fig. 3 of the drawings there is shown a strap 18 having overlapping ends 1811 and 18b which are enclosed by a tubular metal seal 19. The edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends are sheared transversely as shown at 20, the shearing cuts being arranged in opposite pairs with two pairs on each side of the seal. The metal between each pair of cuts is deflected downwardly as shown at 21 so that interlocking shoulders of the seal and the enclosed strap ends are formed to prevent relative endwise movement of the strap ends.

In Fig. 5 one of the metal straps 15 is shown extending around a box or package 22 and the sealing tool of the present invention, designated generally by the numeral 23, is shown in operative position with respect to a seal 16 embracing the ends of the strap 15 for the purpose of forming an interlocking joint.

The sealing tool 23 comprises a pair of side plates 25 which are spaced apart in their lower portions by an intervening block 26. The side plates are secured to each other and to the block 26 by a pair of bolts 27 which have nuts 28 secured on their projecting threaded ends. The bolts 27 and the nuts 28 also secure in place, on the outer side of one of the side plates 25, a locking plate 29 which has a general triangular shape with fiat surfaces 29a, 29b and 290 at its corners.

The side plates 25 which are thus secured together and spaced apart are also engaged by three bolts 30, 31 and 32 which are provided adjacent one of the side plates 25 with beads havingfiat faces 30a, 31a and 32a adapted to fit against the surfaces 29a, 29b and 29c, respectively, of the locking plate 2 9 so that the bolts 39, 31 and 32 areheld against rotation. The other ends of the bolts 39, 31 and 32 have threaded portions which are engaged by nuts 33, 34 and 35, respectively, so that the bolts are thus held in fixed relationship to the side plates 25.

The side plates 25 are provided with lateral extensions 25 1 which receive between them a block 37 which is apertured to receive a handle 38 having an enlarged end portion 38a adapted to be gripped by the operator. The block 37 fits in grooves 255 formed in the side plates and this block, as well as the handle 38, is secured to the extensions 25a of the side plates by a bolt 39 and a nut 40.

A pair of bending jaws 43 are mounted on each of the bolts 31 and 32 and are spaced from the side plates 25. by washers 44 mounted on these bolts. A pair of deforming dies or punches 45 are mounted between each pair of bending dies or jaws 43. At shown in Fig. 8, the punches or dies 45 have rounded, peripheral surfaces as shown in Fig. 2 but, if desired, these dies may have the form 45a shown in Fig. 4 where the outer peripheral surfaces of the dies are cylindrical in form.

The bending dies 43 have upwardly extending arms 43a, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9, and these arms at one end of the tool are pivotally connected by a pin 46 to a link 47. Similarly, the arms 43a of the bending dies which are adjacent to the handle 38 are connected by a pin 48 to a link 49. The two links 47 and 49 are pivotally connected by pins to the side flanges 51a of a block 51 which is provided with a cylindrical aperture fitted by a handle 52. This handle is secured in place by a bolt 53 and it is provided at its outer end with an enlarged portion 52a adapted to. be gripped by the hand of the operator. The side flanges 51a of the block 51 are provided with apertures which are engaged by the bolt 30 so that the handle 52 is thereby mounted for pivotal movement and the block 51 may be oscillated about the bolt 30 in order to cause the links 47 and 459 to effect relative movement of the opposed bending dies 43.

These bending dies have the form illustrated particularly in Figs. 6 and 9 and are provided with portions which are adapted to extend into the rectangular notches 25c which are formed in the lower edges of the side plates 25. The pivot bolts 31 and 32 are so located and the deforming punches or dies 45 are of these dies 45 extend into the notches 25c and are adapted to engage the edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends when relative movement of the bending dies 43 on opposite sides of the seal is effected. For this purpose, each bending die 43 is provided at its lower end with an extremity 43b in the form of a hook adapted to pass beneath the seal and the enclosed strap ends when the tool is placed in the position shown in Fig. 9 with the handle or lever 52 in its elevated position. Each bending die is provided above its hooked extremity with a curved recess 43c adapted to embrace the edge portions of the seal when the hooks 43b on opposite sides of the seal are moved toward each other.

Upon movement of the handle or lever 52 from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 6, the hooked extremities 43b of the bending dies are moved toward each other on opposite sides of the tool and these hooked portions then force the seal and the enclosed strap ends upwardly against the peripheral portions of the deforming dies or punches 4-5 as the seal and the strap ends pass toward the notches 25c in the side plates. The hooked extremities 43b of the bending dies thus force the seal and the strap ends against the deforming dies 45 with the result that the deformations 17 shown in Fig. l are formed. As his operation occurs,

so formed that portions 4 the deforming punches or dies are rotated slightly by the deforming operation which decreases the effort required to deform the seal and the strap ends since there is substantially no friction to be overcome by the relative movement of the parts. At the same time, the rotary movement of the dies 45 brings new portions of the peripheral surfaces of these dies into position for the next sealing operation so that a large wearing surface on each of the dies 45 is provided for forming the interlocking joints and the life of these dies is thus greatly increased as compared with dies which are fixed with respect to the bending dies and which are thus employed on each operation of the tool.

In Fig. 1 two of the deformations 17 are shown on each side of the seal 16 whereas in the tool which has been described there is only one deforming die or punch 45 on each side of the seal. Thus, in order to form the joints shown in Fig. 1 with two pairsiof deformations 17, it would be necessary to operate the tool twice in two different positions. he produced by increasing the number ofbending jaws 43 and using two intervening deforming dies 45 so that two deformations could be formed on the seal with a single operation of the tool. Thus, the tool'of the present invention may be constructed to form a plurality of pairs of deformations and these may have different conformations in the same joint. If the shearing die or punch 45a shown in Fig. 4- besubstituted for the form shown in Fig. 2, the operation of the tool is the same as that previously described except that the sharp edges of the cylindrical surface of the die45a would effect the shearing of the seal and the enclosed strap ends to form th type of joint which is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Although one form of the invention-has. been shown and described, together with twomodifications of the punch or shearing dies, it;will be understood that the invention may have. various other: forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination in a tool adapted to forma joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of

a frame, a pair of relatively movable jaws mounted on said frame for receiving therebetween one of said seals enclosing said strap ends,, a pair of rotatable deforming dies rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent said jaws, and means for effecting relative movement of said jaws with respect to said deforming dies to cause said jaws to force said seal into engagement with said deforming dies to deform the seal and the. strap. ends enclosed therein.

2. The combinationin a tool. adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a frame, a pairof relatively movable jaws mounted on said frame for receiving therebetween one of said seals enclosing said strap ends, a pair of circular rotary deforming dies rotatably mounted on said frame alongside said jaws, and means for effecting relative movement of said jaws with respect to. said deforming dies to cause said jaws to force said sealinto engagementwith said deforming dies to deform the seal and the straps enclosed therein and to effect rotary movement of said dies.

3. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a frame, a pair of rotary deforming dies rotatably mounted opposite each other on said frame, and adapted to engage the opposite edge portionsof the upper side of said seal, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame for movement relative to said deforming dies and for engagement with the under side of said seal, and means for effecting relative movement of said jaws with respect to. said deforming dies to cause said jaws to force said seal into engagement with said deforming dies to deform said edge portions of said seal and the, strap ends enclosed in said seal.

4. The combination in ,a, tool. adapted .to form a joint betweena metal seal and; enclosed metal strap. ends, of

Of course, the, same effect would,

a frame, a pair of rotary deforming dies rotatably mounted on said frame opposite each other and having transversely curved annular surfaces adapted to engage the opposite edge portions of the upper side of said seal, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame for movement relative to said deforming dies and for engagement with the under side of said seal, and means for eifecting relative movement of said jaws with respect to said deforming dies to cause said jaws to force said seal into engagement with said surfaces of said deforming dies to deform said edge portions of said seal and the strap ends enclosed in said seal.

5. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a frame, a pair of rotary deforming dies rotatably mounted on said frame opposite each other and having cylindrical annular surfaces adapted to engage the opposite edge portions of the upper side of said seal, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame for movement relative to said deforming dies and for engagement with the under side of said seal, and means for effecting relative movement of said jaws with respect to said deforming dies to cause said jaws to force said seal into engagement with said surfaces of said deforming dies to deform said edge portions of said seal and the strap ends enclosed in said seal.

6. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a pair of side plates secured together and spaced apart, a pair of opposed jaws pivotally mounted between said side plates, a pair of circular deforming dies each mounted to rotate about the pivotal axis of one of said jaws, and means for operating said jaws to cause said dies to deform the edges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends.

7. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a pair of side plates secured together and spaced apart, a pair of circular dies rotatably mounted between said side plates and spaced from each other a distance less than the width of said seal, jaws mounted between said side plates for pivotal movement about the axes of rotation of said dies, and means for effecting relative pivotal movement of said jaws to force the edges of said seal against said dies to deform the seal and the enclosed strap ends.

8. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a pair of side plates secured together and spaced apart, a pair of circular dies rotatably mounted between said said side plates and spaced from each other a distance less than the width of said seal, jaws mounted between said side plates for pivotal movement about the axes of rotation of said dies, and means for effecting relative pivotal movement of said jaws to force the edges of said seal against said dies to deform the seal and the enclosed strap ends, said side plates being notched to receive said seal upon movement of said seal by actuation of said aws.

9. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a pair of side plates secured together and spaced apart, a pair of circular dies rotatably mounted between said side plates and spaced from each other a distance less than the width of said seal, jaws mounted between said side plates for pivotal movement about the axes of rotation of said dies, said jaws having hooked portions adapted to extend beneath the edges of a seal positioned between said jaws, and means for elfecting relative movement of said jaws to cause said hooked portions to force said seal into engagement with said dies.

10. The combination in a tool adapted to form a joint between a metal seal and enclosed metal strap ends, of a pair of side plates secured together and spaced apart, a pair of circular dies rotatably mounted between said side plates and spaced from each other a distance less than the width of said seal, the axes of rotation of said circular dies being fixed with respect to said side plates, jaws mounted between said side plates for pivotal movement about said axes, said jaws having hook portions thereon adapted to extend beneath the edges of a seal positioned between said jaws, and means for effecting relative movement of said jaws with respect to said dies to cause said hooked portions to force said seal into engagement with said dies to deform the seal and the enclosed strap ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,579 Adamson Oct. 1, 1940 2,315,596 Childress Apr. 6, 1943 2,644,356 Childress July 7, 1953 2,752,806 Childress July 3, 1956 

